Weightlifting question

kerriknox

ok so I have a question about weightlifting and I can't find it anywhere in past posts.

It is fairly common knowledge that our bodies adjust to our exercise routines if we don't switch it up a bit. Anyone who only ever does the treadmill will eventually see the results slowing down. BUT....

Is this the same for weightlifting? Do we need to switch up our routines as well or is adding more weight change enough?

**This is in reference to lifting heavy. Not wee 5 or 10 lbs weights**

ValerieMomof2

Yes, as you get stronger, you should change up weightlifting--higher weights, lower reps or do this:
1 set of 10 with a weight
1 set of 8 with a slightly increased weight
1 set of 6 with another slight increase.

havingitall

Most definitely.

You need to switch it up by upping the weight or the reps. use different machines or exercises to work the same body parts. For example, find 3 or 4 different things that work your back muscles and then switch them out. You need to keep your body guessing.

As you get stronger, you are able to increase the weights you are using. Don't worry, you will not turn into the incredible hulk.

erickirb

ok so I have a question about weightlifting and I can't find it anywhere in past posts.

It is fairly common knowledge that our bodies adjust to our exercise routines if we don't switch it up a bit. Anyone who only ever does the treadmill will eventually see the results slowing down. BUT....

Is this the same for weightlifting? Do we need to switch up our routines as well or is adding more weight change enough?

**This is in reference to lifting heavy. Not wee 5 or 10 lbs weights**

Your progress will slow down if you don't change things up. most power lifters don't change up their routines very ofter, but they are training for something specific.

If your goal is to get in great shape and be more athletic overall, it is best to switch up your routine every 4-6 weeks. This could be by changing weight, reps, sets, or I would suggest actually doing different exercises to target the same muscle groups from a different angle or in a different way. i.e. instead of doing machine bench press, switch to dumbbell incline presses.

mike_littlerock

There is actually some confusion about reps for people that are new to lifting. I clarified this for a friend recently, and she commented that it was helpful, so I will share with a larger audience.

you often hear that you should do "x number of reps", and I have seen some people stick to the number but miss the more significant meaning. If I tell you to do 10 reps, the weight you select in a perfect world should be one where the 10th rep is very difficult, not just any weight and doing 10 reps. I see lots of women in particular that will actually use a weight that is too light.. pump out 10 reps, but the muscle is not really fatigued by the exercise. keep in mind that the TARGET is 10 reps.. if you put on a weight and get 8 or 9 reps (with good form) and are working hard, then thats fine.. the next workout you are likely to hit 10, and the subsequent workouts will move you into 11 or 12, when you can do 12, increase your weight. The point is to use good form for the movement, and put the muscle group(s) you are targeting into a fatigued state.

Good form is ESSENTIAL. i see far too many people jerking and squirming around, and that does two things:
a) its a very good way to get injured
b) if you are "cheating", by swinging, using momentum, or a reduced range of motion, you are reducing the amount of work the target muscle group(s) has to do..
NOTE: there are some movements where it actually is proper form to move the weight quickly, such as olympic lifting techniques, but if you are not trained on the proper form you might want to reconsider.

As far as changing the program, i say that changing the movements performed, and incorporating cycles to the training is a great idea to keep the workouts interesting, and to keep the muscles and joints healthy.. one phase of a cycle would have higher weights and lower reps, other phases would focus more on endurance and have lower weight and higher reps. there is a TON of material available on routines that incorporate this concept, so i will not go into too much detail here.

hope this helps.
Mike

rorosaw

bump

kerriknox

Thanks guys! I appreciate the help!

tigeratty

(Heavy lifter here) If you do a routine like New Rules of Lifting for Women (or any of the NROL series) you'll see that the workouts alternate during the week and then change aftera month or so. I like these because someone has already planned it all out for me.

I'm also realizing that doing the same thing all of the time was why I never had much success in the past.

Shari

awhoughton

Since nobody else has mentioned it, I would recommend "Starting Strength" by Mark Rippetoe (both the book and the DVD). He also has a website and forum, and if you google it there is a WIKI page that describes the program.

Essentially this program is designed for people who are just starting strength training. His book and DVD's are excellent for form and you can post videos on his site to get a form check to make sure you are doing it right.

The idea is you focus on 5 main lifts - Squats, DeadLift, Press (Overhead Press), Bench Press and Power Cleans. You use his instructions for finding your starting weight, then you lift 3 times a week doing 3 sets of 5 and move up the weights every workout.

It's a bit more involved than that, but in the end, it's very simple and very, VERY effective for quickly getting a lot stronger.

ninerbuff

ok so I have a question about weightlifting and I can't find it anywhere in past posts.

It is fairly common knowledge that our bodies adjust to our exercise routines if we don't switch it up a bit. Anyone who only ever does the treadmill will eventually see the results slowing down. BUT....

Is this the same for weightlifting? Do we need to switch up our routines as well or is adding more weight change enough?

**This is in reference to lifting heavy. Not wee 5 or 10 lbs weights**

Yep. The body adapts. Which why even people who exercise consistently stall if their routine isn't changed periodically.

Hunger4Fitness

Yeah, try to switch up your routine. It can be as simple as adding more weight or change the order of your normal routine. I always change my entire program every 4 weeks. Also, try to perform some dropsets or even supersets. The theory is....after a while your muscles will quickly adapt and hit a plateau, therefore you should always try to introduce new exercises and/or routines.